Method and apparatus for changing connection state of terminal

• US 10,667,322 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2017
• Issued: 05/26/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KT Corporation
• Original Assignee: KT Corporation
• Inventors: Hong, Sung-pyo, Choi, Woo-jin
• Primary Examiner(s): Chery, Dady
• Application Number:
  US16/098,841
• Publication Number:
  US 20190132900A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,126 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/71 Hardware identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0215 based on user or device properties, e.g. MTC-capable devices services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC] H04W4/70; wireless resource selection or allocation plan definition based on terminal or device properties H04W72/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/02 Arrangements for increasing efficiency of notification or paging channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/27 Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/28 Discontinuous transmission [DTX]; Discontinuous reception [DRX]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/30 Connection release
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/08 Mobility data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/24 Transfer of terminal data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

Provided are a method and apparatus for changing a connection state by user equipment in a light connection state using a paging message. The method of changing a connection state by user equipment may include receiving, from a base station, an radio resource control (RRC) message including instruction information for instructing state transition into a light connection state, configuring the connection state of the user equipment in the light connection state based on the instruction information, receiving a paging message for the user equipment, and determining to change the connection state of the user equipment based on a user equipment identifier included in the paging message.

Claims

1. A method of changing a connection state of a user equipment, the method comprising:

receiving a radio resource control (RRC) message from a base station, where the RRC message includes instruction information for instructing state transition into a light connection state;

configuring a connection state of the user equipment into the light connection state based on the instruction information;

receiving a paging message for the user equipment; and

determining to change the connection state of the user equipment based on a UE identifier included in the paging message,

wherein the configuring into the light connection state includes suspending signaling radio bearer (SRB) and data radio bearer (DRB) of the user equipment and storing a UE context for maintaining a core network connection between the base station and a core network for the user equipment.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein when the UE identifier included in the paging message matches a first UE identifier allocated by a higher layer of the user equipment, the determining to change the connection state includes determining to change the connection state into an RRC idle state.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the first UE identifier is International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) or SAE-Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity (S-TMSI).

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein when the UE identifier included in the paging message matches a second UE identifier allocated by the base station, the determining to change the connection state includes determining to change the connection state into an RRC connected state.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the second UE identifier includes BS identification information and information for identifying a UE context allocated by the base station.

6. A method of controlling by a base station a connection state of a user equipment, the method comprising:

transmitting an radio resource control (RRC) message to the user equipment, wherein the RRC message includes instruction information for instructing state transition into a light connection state;

changing a connection state of the user equipment into the light connection state; and

transmitting a paging message including a UE identifier to the user equipment and triggering the connection state of the user equipment to be changed,

wherein the changing into the light connection state includes suspending signaling radio bearer (SRB) and data radio bearer (DRB) of the user equipment, and storing a UE context for maintaining a core network connection between the base station and a core network for the user equipment.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the UE identifier is one of a first UE identifier allocated by a higher layer of the user equipment and a second UE identifier allocated by the base station.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein when the paging message includes the first UE identifier, the connection state of the user equipment is transitioned into an RRC idle state, and when the paging message includes the second UE identifier, the connection state of the user equipment is transitioned into an RRC connected state.

9. The method according to claim 6, further comprising receiving a paging information for transmitting the paging message from a core network control plane entity after the transmitting of the RRC message.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the paging information is included in an initial context setup request message.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the paging information includes at least one of paging DRX, a UE identification information index, and cell area information.

12. A user equipment changing a connection state, the user equipment comprising:

a receiver configured to receive an radio resource control (RRC) message from a base station, wherein the RRC message includes instruction information indicating state transition into a light connection state; and

a controller configured to transit a connection state of the user equipment into the light connection state based on the instruction information,

wherein the receiver is configured to receive a paging message for the user equipment, and

wherein the controller is configured to determine to change the connection state of the user equipment based on a UE identifier included in the paging message, and

wherein the controller is configured to suspend signaling radio bearer (SRB) and data radio bearer (DRB) of the user equipment, and store a UE context for maintaining a core network connection between the base station and a core network for the user equipment.

13. The user equipment according to claim 12, wherein when the UE identifier included in the paging message matches a first UE identifier allocated by a higher layer of the user equipment, the controller is configured to determine to change the connection state into an RRC idle state.

14. The user equipment according to claim 13, wherein the first UE identifier is one of International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) and SAE-Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity (S-TMSI).

15. The user equipment according to claim 12,

wherein when the UE identifier included in the paging message matches a second UE identifier allocated by the base station, the controller is configured to determine to change the connection state into an RRC connected state.

16. The user equipment according to claim 15, wherein the second UE includes B S identification information and information for identifying a UE context allocated by the base station.